Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

A friend of mine recently asked why so many of the recipes I post on my blog are main course items, with the odd salad or side dish thrown in. Why don't I blog recipes about more deserts?

Well, mainly, and I know this is going to be hard to believe for a lot of you who have seen how I'm not exactly an Undergear model, I'm not that big on deserts. It's just easier, after cooking the main parts of the meal, to just get out some ice cream or some kind of store bought confection of pastry.

I can make deserts with the best of them though, and to prove it, I made a special dish that was recently e-mailed to me from the good people at Bisquick. I hope you enjoy it as much as my roommate and I did.

CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

• 1 quart (4 cups) fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups Original Bisquick (R) mix
• 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter (or margarine), melted
• 1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• Your favorite frozen (thawed of course) whipped topping

1. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar until coated and let stand for at least one hour.
2. Heat you oven to 375*F and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
3. In another medium bowl, stir the Bisquick mix, cocoa, 2 tablespoons of sugar, milk and melted butter together until a soft dough forms.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop dough by about 1/3 cupfuls onto the cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until tops of shortcakes appear dry and cracked.
7. Cool for about 15 minutes.
8. Split with a serrated knife before filling and topping with strawberries and a dollop of your favorite whipped topping.

As always, eat and enjoy.